Mandevilla Plant Named &#39;Rita Marie Otwell Green&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Mandevilla  plant named ‘Rita Marie Otwell Green’, characterized by a full double flower having light pink and white-splashed petals.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Mandevilla, botanically known as Mandevilla hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Rita Marie Otwell Green’.

BOTANICAL DESIGNATION

Mandevilla hybrida.

CULTIVAR DENOMINATION

‘Rita Marie Otwell Green’.

The new Mandevilla is a naturally-occurring branch mutation of the Mandevilla hybrida cultivar Rita Marie Green, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,787. The new Mandevilla was discovered and selected by the Inventor from within a population of plants of the cultivar Rita Marie Green in a controlled environment in Tahara-city Aichi, Japan in June, 2004.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by cuttings in Tahara-city Aichi, Japan since June, 2004, has shown that the unique features of this new Mandevilla are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Rita Marie Otwell Green have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Rita Marie Otwell Green’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Rita Marie Otwell Green’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Light pink and white-splashed petals     -   2. Early flowering         showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to         obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the         photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in         the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the         actual colors in the new Mandevilla. Plants of the new         Mandevilla differ primarily from plants of the parent, the         cultivar Rita Marie Green, in flower color as plants of the         cultivar Rita Marie Otwell Green have light pink-colored flowers         compared with darker pink color flowers of Rita Marie Green.

Plants of the new Mandevilla can be compared to plants of the Mandevilla cultivar Rita Marie Green, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,787. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Tahara-city Aichi, Japan, plants of the Rita Marie Otwell Green differed from plants of the cultivar Rita Marie Green in the following characteristics:

-   1. Plants of the new Mandevilla and the cultivar Rita Marie Green     differ in flower color. -   2. Plants of the new Mandevilla are earlier flowering than the     cultivar Rita Marie Green. -   3. The number of opened flowers in the new Mandevilla is more than     Rita Marie Green, even in the early flowering stage.

The new plant has been propagated from cuttings taken from the parent plant and from progeny produced from such cuttings. My new variety, ‘Rita Marie Otwell Green,’ has been grown from at least four successive generations of cuttings and each generation has only generated plants that express flowers having the lighter pink color than the parent plant Rita Marie Green (i.e. a first cutting has been taken grown to maturity and then used to provide the cutting for the next generation).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new cultivar.

FIG. 1 is a view of the double flower bloom of ‘Rita Marie Otwell Green’ showing the double flower structure having light pink and white-splashed petals.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the invention based on plants grown at the Inventor's nursery in Tahara-city, Japan. Color descriptions are according to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart 2001 Edition. Other terminology is used herein in accordance with ordinary dictionary significance or as commonly used by those of ordinary skill in the relevant art, unless otherwise noted.

Plants used for the aforementioned photograph and following description were grown under conditions which closely approximate commercial production conditions during the early Summer season in an indoor nursery in Tahara-city, Aichi, Japan for about six months. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 25 degrees C. and night temperatures averaged 20. degrees C.

-   Botanical classification: Mandevilla hybrida cultivar Rita Marie     Otwell Green. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring branch-mutation of the Mandevilla     hybrida cultivar Rita Marie Green, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No.     11,787. -   The plant:     -   -   Foliage.—Slightly darker green than Rita Marie Green.         -   Type.—Evergreen, but if the plants suffer from cold (less             than 5° C.), they will change into yellowish color.         -   Shape.—Elliptic (linear to oblong).         -   Apex.—Long to short acuminate tip.         -   Base.—Cordate.         -   Length.—Variable from about 9.5 cm to 15 cm.         -   Width.—Variable from about 4 cm to 8 cm.         -   Color.—Upper foliage: Yellow green group R.H.S. 146D. Lower             foliage: Green group R.H.S. 137A to yellow-green group             R.H.S. 147A.         -   Arrangement on stem.—Opposite.         -   Margins.—Entire.         -   Habit.—The ‘Rita Marie Otwell Green’ variety has a vigorous             twining habit and is an ideal semi-tropical creeper. A             mature plant of the variety ‘Rita Marie Otwell Green’ has             twining stems 2 meters long and produces leaves that are             large and glossy.         -   Disease resistance.—The ‘Rita Marie Otwell Green’ variety is             not known to be unusually tolerant to any pathogens.         -   Frost tolerance.—The ‘Rita Marie Otwell Green’ variety is             tolerant to temperatures as low as approximately 5 degree.             C.         -   Fragrance.—Flowers of the ‘Rita Marie Otwell Green’ variety             have a slight sweet fragrance. -   Flowers:     -   -   Arrangement.—Axillary racemes.         -   Color.—Upper surface of petals.         -   Corolla and petaloids.—Red-purple group RHS. N74B and N74C             at the beginning of flowering, the colors might change into             red-purple group RHS 69A and purple group RHS 75D during the             flowering time, and subsequently, into purple group RHS 76D             at fully-opened flower stage. The randomly splashed color is             red purple group RHS 69D and purple group RHS 76D.         -   Petaloids (within throat).—Slight striations of red-purple             group 58B and 58C and yellow group RHS. 2A within 1 cm of             base of inner throat.         -   Corolla (within throat).—Yellow group RHS. 2A within 2 cm of             base of inner throat.         -   Underside of petals.—Red-purple group RHS. N74B, N74C, and             69D (splash color) mixed with red-purple RHS. group 69A, and             purple group RHS75D.         -   Reproductive structures.—Style: Generally present, about 8             mm to 11 mm in length.         -   Stamens.—Absent, developed into showy petals.         -   Structure.—Overall, funnel shaped. Likely reproductive             structures are sterile due to “double” flowers with typical             five-numbered stamens converted to petaloids. Outer five             parted funnel-shaped corolla limbs. Inner five parted             petaloids. Petaloids within the corolla to form a double             flower.         -   Corolla.—Width: about 10.5 cm to 11.0 cm.         -   Length of throat from calyx to corolla limb             attachment.—about 4.4 cm to 4.9 cm.         -   Length of corolla from calyx to top of corolla.—about 5.5 cm             to 6.5 cm.         -   Individual corolla limbs.—4.0 cm to 5.0 cm long, 3.5 cm to             5.5 cm wide. Asymmetrical in shape, ending in a short,             abrupt tip.         -   Petaloids (converted stamens).—Individual petaloid length:             about 4.0 cm to 4.5 cm. Individual petaloid width: about 3.5             cm to 5.0 cm.         -   Petaloid attachment.—about 1.5 cm above top of calyx.         -   Petaloid fusion.—Fused about 1.5 cm to 2.0 cm at base.         -   Shape.—Symmetrical short, abrupt tip. Petaloids are             flattened and opened, resembling outer corolla. Length             approximately equal to outer corolla, exhibiting a fully             double appearance. Petaloids overlay corolla limbs exposing             yellow inner base of tube. The reason for the varied             appearance of the double flowers has yet to be determined.             However, the light pink double flower characteristics are             established and transmitted through succeeding asexual             propagations. Asexual reproduction of ‘Rita Marie Otwell             Green’ has been performed from cuttings. Other conventional             methods for propagation of Mandevilla varieties may also be             used. 

1. A new and distinct Mandevilla plant named ‘Rita Marie Otwell Green’ as illustrated and described. 